Ship



J. M. THOMPSON.

SHIP.

APPLICATION min FEB. 2. I920 Patented Jan. 11;1921.

3 SHEE S-SHEET I.

I van QM J. M. THOMPSON SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1920.

1,364,961 Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q r I J. M. THOMPSON.

SHiP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3 1920.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

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.jivrizey- UNITED STATES JAMES M. THOMISON, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed February 3, 1920. Serial No. 355,916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York. have invented new and useful Improvements in Ships, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates'more particularly to the construction of passenger and freight boats, but the same is also applicable to war vessels and other ships.

One of its objects is the provision of a vessel which is practically uncapsizable and which is so constructed as to materially reduce rolling of the craft,;rendering it more comfortable to passengers and facilitating unloading onto other boats at sea or loading from them when this becomes desirable or necessary.

A further object of the invention is to so construct thevessel that it .mayjrun with equal .facility in either direction, and be turned sharply and quickly within a small space, ifrequired.

Another object is to movably support the propellers in such a manner that they may be elevated for. conveniently repairing or renewing them or associated parts, and for withdrawing one of the propelling inechanisms from the Water While the other is in use when'the propellers are arranged and driven to pull the vessel, instead of pushin it. Y

n the accompanying drawings:' 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a passenge boat embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with parts of the superstructure omitted. Fig. 3 is an end view of the vessel. Fig. 4: is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section on line 4-4;, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a. cross section on line 5-5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fraggientary longitudinal section on line 66,

imilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The sub-structure of thevessel comprises parallel twin hullslO, 10, which carry the main deck 11 and'other partsof the superstructure of the craft, hereinafter mentioned. These hulls are spaced apart a suitable distance to form an open-ended channel which receives the propelling mechanismof the vessel, and they are rigidly and permanently tied together, preferably by crossbeams 12 arranged at appropriate intervals and elevations, as best shown in Fig. 5. The hulls may be of any approved construction, but in their preferred form their upper portions contain one or more decks 13, while the portions thereof below the water line are divided into airtight cells or compartments ing 17 in the hub. and a.,bolt-l8 passing through said bushing, the main deck 11 and a bracket or plate 19 secured to the bottom of the hull-body; the hub. being provided at its upper and lower endswith ball bearings 20. A segmental ball bearing 21 concentric with the pivot bolt 18 is preferably interposed between the top of each of said steering sections 15 and the underside of the main deck, on the front side of the bolt.

As shown in Fig. 1,,the adjoining ends of the steering sections and the hullbodies are vconcavo-convex the inner end of each section being preferably convexv and curved concentrically with the pivot bolt 18, as

shownat22, while the adjacent endof the hull is correspondingly concave. vThe two steeringsections at the same end of the boat are connected together, to move in unison, by a link 23 hinged by vertical pins 24 to the outer ends of the sections. ,Any appropriate steering mechanism may be employed for operating these sections. .That shown in the drawings, consists of a rope or chain 25 Wound upon an upright winch 26 andhaving its ends fastened to the two sections respectively. Meshingwith a worm wheel 27 securedto the winch-shaft is a worm-28 which is mounted on a steering shaft 29 having a pilot-wheel 30-or other suitable means for turning it. In the construcftion showmeach of the winches is incased in a housing 31 arranged between the adjacent steering sections 15 and carried at its rear end by transverse beams 32 spanning the two hull bodies 10. These housings are preferably V-shaped with their apexes facing the ends of the boat, so as to minimize their resistance to the progress of the vessel.

If desired, the two pairs of steering sections may be coupled together so that they may be simultaneously turned in opposite directions, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2,'in order to make a relatively short turn where space is limited. This may be accomplished by pivotally connecting the inner side of one steering section with the outer side of the other steering section of the same hull by a diagonal rod 33. or by any other suitable means.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the connecting link 23 is preferably rather wide or deep and provided at its lower edge with forwardly-curved teeth 2% which dip below the water level. By this construction, said link serves also as a guard which intercepts any flotsam and prevents the same from entering between the hulls and clogging the propellers, while at the same time the submerged portion of the link offers as little resistance as possible.

The vessel may be propelled by any appropriate mechanism, but I preferably employ a number of screw propellers or propeller-units located in the channel between the twohulls and arranged to exert a pulling force on'the vessel, as distinguished from the action of an ordinary propeller located at the stern of the boat and operating to push the same. In the example illustrated in the drawings, two of such units are used, the same being located on opposite sides of the transverse center line of' the vessel, although a greater or less number may be employed, if desired. Each of these units preferably comprises a propeller-shaft 34 arranged lengthwise of the vessel and midway between its hulls, and carrying one or more screw propellers 35. .Each of these shafts is carried by an elevator 36 moving on upright guideways extending froma point near the bottom of the boat-hulls to a suitable'height above the main deck 10 and braced above the latter by a fixed frame 38 snrmounting the deck. The preferred devices for operating each elevator comprise a non-rotary screw 39 carrying the elevatorcar and engaging a rotary nut 40 ournaled in the upper, cross beam 41 of the fixed frame 38. This nut is rotated by an electric or other motor 42 through suitable transmis sion gearing, which in the example shown in the drawings, includes a horizontal shaft 43 geared to the motor shaft and havinga worm 44 which meshes with a worm wheel 45'carried by the nut 40.

portant saving of time and expense.

The propeller shafts are driven by an appropriate engine or motor 46, preferably supported on the main deck, as shown. Power is transmitted to each of these shafts preferably by an upright shaft 47 supported on the elevator car and geared at its lower end to the propeller shaft 34 and at its upper end to a horizontal countershaft 48 mounted on top of the car and adapted to be connected with the driving shaft 49 of the engine by a clutch of any ordinary construction. That shown in the drawings is of the friction type and comprises a female member 50 secured to the shaft 48 and a corresponding male member 51 secured to a slid-able sleeve 52 keyed to the drive-shaft and operated by a lever 53.

By this construction and, arrangement, when either of the elevators is in its lowest position, as shown in Fig. 4, the corresponding propeller shaft may be clutched to the main shaft for driving the propellers. T he elevator car is of skeleton form or open on all. sides to allow the water to course freely through the channel. between the hulls and completely submerge the propellers at all times.

Should it become necessary to repair or renew any of the parts of the propelling mechanism the corresponding countershaft 48 is disconnected from the drive shaft by means of the clutch and the elevator is brought to a position above the main deck 10 where the propeller and associated parts are easy of ac cess, thus greatly facilitating the making of repairs and renewals and effecting an im- After completing the work, the propellers can be as quickly returned to their operative position by simply lowering the elevator and again throwing the propellershaft into gear with the main shaft.

The main deck 11 is supported upon the two hulls and their pivoted end sections and bridges the space or channel between the hulls.

Aside from the above convenience, this improved vessel afl'ords these important advantages:

The arrangement of the propelling devices near its ends, or on opposite sides of its transverse center line, so that either may be employed to pull the vessel, as hereinbefore described, affords a better and. more reliable control of the boat. The two propelling devices are used alternately according to the direction in which the vessel is to run, the rear or trailing propelling device being raised out of the water, so as not to offer any resistance to the progress of the boat.

The twin hulls give the vessel a comparatively wide beam which is increased by the space or channel betweenthe hulls, rendering capsizing of the boat practically impossible. In practice, it is about twice as wide as it is high and is therefore not top-heavy, nor is heavier loading on one side than the other liable to capsize it.

The wide beam materially reduces rolling of the boat in stormy weather, lessening the liability of sea sickness, and enabling the boat to be unloaded onto another boat at sea with greater facility or to be loaded from another boat.

As the boat is constructed alike at both ends, it can travel in either direction without turning it around, thus saving time and the expense of tugs, or if for any reason, it is desired to turn the vessel about, this can be done quickly and within a small area. This capacity affords a great advantage in case of iminent collision or in the exigencies of war, as it enables the direction of the boat to be changed almost instantly. By this double-ended construction of the boat, it can moreover be loaded with equal facility from "a dock, either at the port orthe starboard side.

By placing the motors or engines on the main deck or above the water line, they are protected from damage by flooding.

The steering sections at the ends of the vessel mutually brace and stiffen each other and are not liable to be broken like ordinary rudders.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vessel comprising a hull-body provided at its ends with symmetrical, horizontally-swinging steering-sections shaped to form continuations of the hull-body, and a diagonally arranged connection between said sections to cause them to swing simultaneously toward the same side of the hullbody.

2. A vessel comprising a pair of substantially parallel hull-bodies, spaced apart to leave a channel between them, horizontallyswinging steering sections hinged to the ends of said hull-bodies, and a link connecting said sections together at their outer ends and extending below the water line.

3. A vessel comprising a pair of substan tially parallel hull-bodies, spaced apart to leave a channel between them, horizontally swinging steering sections hinged to the ends of said hull-bodies, and a link connecting said sections together at their outer ends and provided at its lower edge with teeth eX- tending below the water line.

JAMES M. THOMPSON. 

